Folding beds



Aug; 30,.1960

w. J. HALL.

Y FOLDING BEDS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 13, 1957 l T1 w WJ@ f .U ENA m n m w um .l Y b a @M L @N o IIII :L mwjmwhmrl,um Y ww a .EL HX .UE im 5 LM ry n h u WN NN N Q @mi Aug. 30, 1960 w. J. HALL FOLDING BEDS Filed June 13, 1957 s Smets-sheet 2 .All n FIG Vif/[Ham fase/ofi f/ZZ Z BY Aug 305 1960 w. J. HALL 2,950,485

FOLDING BEDS Filed June 13, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTRIVE YS' FOLDBNG BEDS William Joseph Hall, London, England, assigner to W. Steel c Co. Limited, London, England, a British company Filed June 13, 1957, Ser. No. 665,416

3 Claims. (Cl. 5 4) The present invention relates to folding beds and has for an object to provide a folding bed which in the ef:- tended position provides a full length bed and is foldable to table height. By table height is meant the height of a table as commonly used in oiiices and for domestic purposes.

According to the invention, a folding bed comprises a frame for supporting a full-length size hair, wool, spring lilled or like mattress and formed `of three sections comprising a centre section supporting at each end thereof `an end section pivoted thereto for pivotal movement about an axis extending transversely of the frame, from a position extending outwardly from the centre section generally coplanar therewith, to a folded position extensing upwardly from the centre section substantially at right angles thereto, a bed board `secured to the free end of one of the end sections and adapted to overlie the centre section in parallel spaced relation therewith when the said one end section is in the folded position, and pivoted floorengaging members supporting the centre section and adapted to be swung with respect thereto to a folded position to lower the centre section when the end sections are swung upwardly to the folded position so that in the folded position of the bed, the bed board is at table height.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a folding bed according to the invention showing the bed in the extended position;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the bed of Figure 1 in partly folded position;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the bed of Figure l in the completely folded position;

Figure 4 is a section taken along the line IV-IV of Figure l;

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the folded bed as viewed from the left of Figure 3, and

Figure 6 is a section taken along the line Vi-VI of Figure :1 and drawn to an enlarged scale.

As shown in the drawings, the bed comprises a spring mattress supporting lframe formed by a centre section 15, a head end section 16 and a foot end section 17. '111e frame sections are formed of angle section members disposed so that the angle forms the upper outer peripheral edge of the frame i.e. one limb of the angle section extends horizontally inwardly of the frame when the sections are in the extended bed position, and the other limb of the section extends downwardly to provide an outer peripheral flange of the frame.

The end sections 16 and 17 are each formed by a U- shaped angle section member, the ends of the legs of which members are pivoted as at 18 and 19 respectively to the ends of angle section members 20 forming the side members of the centre section 15. The closed end of the U-shaped member forming the head end section 16 has secured thereto as by welding an inverted U-shaped Patented Ang. 3ft, 1950 tubular member 21 to which is secured a bed board 22.

Each end section is provided with a foldable floor-en gaging member for supporting the section in the horizontally extended position, the said floor engaging member comprising a U-shaped tubular member 23 extending transversely of the frame and the ends of the legs of which are pivoted to the sides of the frame section by means of brackets 24 so that the member 23 can fold from a frame supporting position extending downwardly from the frame section (Figure 1) to a folded position lying against the frame section and positioned within the angle of the angle section member forming the section (Figures 2 and 5). Each member 23 has pivoted thereto at each side thereof one end of a link 25, the other end of which is pivoted as at 26 to the corresponding end of the centre section below the pivot 18 of the end section to the centre section, the length of the links 25 and the positioning of the pivotal connections thereof to the members 23 and to the centre section 15 being arranged so that when the end sections are in the extended position, the member 23 of each section is supported in a substantially vertical position depending from the section, and when the section is swung upwardly to extend substantially vertically with respect to the centre section, the member 23 is swung to the folded position in which both the door engaging member 23 and the links 25 connected thereto lie in the angle of the section member, as shown in dotted line in Figure 2.

IFor supporting the centre section 15, further floor engaging members are provided in the form of two pairs of legs 27 secured respectively to each end section adjacent the pivotal connection of the end section to the centre section, the legs of each pair being disposed one at each side of the corresponding section and being united by a transverse bar 28.

Each leg 27 is provided at its lower end with a wheeled caster 29 and at its upper end the leg is pivoted to the frame section for swinging in the longitudinal direction of the bed, by means of a bracket 30. Each leg 2? is pivotally connected as at 31 to the adjacent link 25 so that when the end sections are in the extended position the legs 27 extend vertically downwardly therefrom to support the centre section 15 at bed height i.e. at the same height as the end sections are supported by the members 23 and the three sections are thus supported in substantially co-planar relation to form a full length bed.

It will be apparent that by reason of the pivotal connection of the legs 27 to the links 25, as the end sections are swung upwardly to the folded position, the legs 27 are swung inwardly with respect to the centre section 15 to a folded position thereby to lower the centre section when the bed is in the folded position as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 5. It will be appreciated that the portion of each of the common connecting links 25 between the pivot connections 26 and 31 is substantially equal to the length between the pivots 18 and 36.

in the folded position of the bed, the end sections 16 and 17 extend vertically upwardly from the ends of the centre section so that the bed board 22 overlies the centre section and is substantially horizontal. In order to limit the upward swinging of the end sections to the vertical position, the upper flange at the 'ends of each of the angle section members 20 of the centre section is cut away as at 32 (Figure l) to provide a stop against which the corresponding side member of the end section abuts when the end section is in the Vertical position. In addition each side member of the end sections is formed with a nose 33 extending beyond the pivotal connection 1d and which engages the upper flange of the Corresponding centre section side member 20 when the end section is swung downwardly to the horizontal position, thereby to limit the downward swinging movement of the end section.,

The respective lengths ofthe frame sections 15,

floor engaging members upon pivoting of the end sections from the yextended to the folded position.

2. A folding bed as claimed in claim l including second floor engaging members pivoted `to each end section adjacent the outer end thereof for supporting the end section in the said outwardly extending position and links connecting said second floor engaging members to .f the centre section for pivoting the second oor engaging lowered so that Vthe ,bed

In order to secure the Ibed, in the folded positiomthe..VV

-bridge portion of the inverted U-shaped head-supporting.Y member 21 is provided with Va pair of spaced headed lugs 34 adapted to extend through apertures in thegclosedj15 end of the end section 17 and through slots 35 in a Y locking member -36 ('Figurc'S) slidablytsecuredl to the end section 17. The slots 35 are provided with. exten-Y sions 37 of reduced width adapted to engage under the [heads of the lu-gs 34 upon sliding of the member 36 to 20 the lockingY position thereby releasably to secure theY member 21 to the end section v17 `yandsecure the bed inY the folded position.

When the end sections are in the upright folded posiltion, the oor engaging members 23 as hereinbefore described are folded against the end section. By reason Vof the brackets 24 pivotally supporting the members 23 however there is sufficient clearance'between a folded member 23 and the frame section to permit the member to be moved over dead centre with respect to the link 25 and thereby releasably lock the centre section supporting legs 27 in the folded position. v

VWhat I claim is:V Y

1. A folding Vbed comprising -a mattress-supporting frame formed of three sections comprising a centre section supporting at each end thereof an endrsection pivoted thereto for swinging from a position extending out' wardly from the centre section substantially co-planarv therewith to a folded position extending upwardly from the centre section substantially at right angles'thereto, a bed board secured to the free end of oneV of said end sections so as to overlie the ,centre `section, in` spaced parallel relation therewith when the said one'end section is in the folded position, rst oor engaging members pivoted to each end section a short distance from the pivotal connection `thereof to the centresectonV and swingable from a positionextending downwardly from the end section in the outwardly extending position ofl the ,end section to support1the .centre section-at .bed` 50 and a pivoted link connecting theV said first floor engaging members to thercentreV section and having a length to the centre section for effecting said swinging of the members from a downwardly extending,section-supporting position to a position lying against therespective end section when the end sections are' pivoted from theextended to the foldled position.

3. A folding bed comprising a mattress-supporting frame formed of three sections comprising a centre section supporting at each end thereof van end section pivoted thereto for swinging from a position extending outwardly from the centre section substantially `co-planar therewith to a folded positionextending upwardly from the centre section substantially Vat right angles thereto,-V a bed board secured to the .freeA end of one'Y of said.Y end sections so as to overlie the centre section -in spaced` parallel relation therewith when the said' one'jend secytion is in the folded position, iirst iloor engaging members pivoted to each end section ata short-,dista nce` from the pivotal connection thereof tothe centr.e section and swingable from a position Vextending downwardly from the end section in the outwardly extendingv position of the end section to support the centre section at bed-height, to a downwardly extending position lying against the end section in the folded position to support. the centre section at reduced height, second'floor engag. ing members pivoted to each end section adjacent thef outer end thereof for supporting the end section in the said outwardly extending position and swingable from a downwardly extending section-supporting position to a position lying against the end'section, and common connecting links pivotally connecting they rst and. second oor egaging members of each end section Yto the centre section for effecting simultaneous yswinging of the first and second lloor engaging members of each end section upon pivoting of the end section from the extended'to the folded position, the portionV of said commonconnecting link extendingY betweenthe lirst oor engagingl members and the centre section being of a lengthY equal to the said short distance.V f Y Y Y References Cited in the file 'of this patent 'i 'v ,A

UNITED STATES PATENTS.

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